United States: Convict nicknamed “Ninja Killer” executed in Florida

An American nicknamed the “Ninja Killer” was hanged Wednesday evening after committing a double murder during a robbery in Florida more than three decades ago. Louis Gaskin was executed at 6:15 p.m. (12:15 a.m. Thursday in Switzerland), Florida prison officials said in a statement.

The Supreme Court rejected the 56-year-old death row inmate’s final appeal. On December 20, 1989, he carried out a series of bloody robberies dressed all in black to steal Christmas presents for his girlfriend – hence his nickname in the American media.

Eight of the twelve judges

Armed with a gun, he had driven from New Jersey to the winter home of a couple in their fifties. According to court documents, he first fired through the window, striking the husband and wounding his wife. He then gave chase and fired.

Louis Gaskin stole some goods, money and jewelery from this house and moved to a second house where he repeated his attack. One man was injured, however he fled in a car with his wife. Ten days later, he was arrested on a tip-off from a relative and confessed to the crime.

At his trial, a jury found him guilty of murder. But only eight of the twelve judges voted in favor of the death penalty. Today, a unanimous jury is required to pronounce the death penalty, but that was not the case back then. In the following years, his attorneys brought several appeals, specifically arguing several mental health issues.

Schizophrenic disorders

In 1991, the Florida Court of Appeals recognized that he suffered from schizophrenic disorders and auditory hallucinations, while he was aware of the seriousness of his actions and was therefore criminally responsible. His other appeals were unsuccessful, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis last month signed a warrant setting his execution date.

The Republican-elect, who has presidential ambitions, has overseen only two executions in his first term, but has signed three such terms since the start of the year. Noreen Rector, who survived the second robbery, moved on. “I do not believe the death penalty serves any purpose,” he wrote in a statement to the Daytona-Beach News-Journal.

He added that the execution of Louis Gaskin “would greatly disturb me if it served Governor DeSantis’ presidential bid.” Since the beginning of the year, 10 criminals have been executed in four states in the United States (five in Texas, two in Missouri, two in Florida and one in Oklahoma).

(AFP)